Seattle, WA non-quilting questions
 

My adult daughter and I will be traveling to Seattle in mid July for a weekend medical conference. She requested more time off of work to do a longer weekend and enjoy Seattle!! NOW....she has been there before for 1 month (Army work) and has done a few sights. This visit she'd like to do Orca whale watching and maybe some other things. If you know of some great sights to see and take in....please respond. Or any specials to save some change. Also I'd like to visit a few Row by Row spots to get the license plates and maybe get a new project. HAHA!

Don't miss Pike Place Market or the space needle!

There's so much there, it's hard to choose! Of course PIke's Place and check out the price for going up the Space Needle and the price of a meal...you get a 360 degree view while you eat...as the restaurant rotates while you eat (plan on an hour and a bit more to go outside and peek at the view). If you like art, the art museum is not far from Pike Place. Benaroya Hall is an experience and there are plays that go on...you might Google Seattle events and see what's offered. Have fun!

You don't say how much time you have. I used to live in Seattle and every visit back I take in the Pike Place Market. Always a favorite. There is a quilt shop just South of the market called Underground Quilts. Very small, but interesting. I wasn't a quilter when I lived there, but have found so many shops on my visits. In Ballard you'll find the Quilting Loft whose owner worked at In The Beginning fabrics. Bellevue look for Quiltworks NW. If you get a chance, head North to LaConner and visit the Textile Museum. Also, it is a wonderful town for lunch and a great one day outing. PM me if you have questions or want more info.

2nd Saturday in July... Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show in nearby Oregon...that's where I would go.

If you have the time and the money, a trip to Tillicum Village that includes dining and observing some of the Native art. I haven't been in downtown Seattle for some years, but believe they still sell tickets right there next to Pike Place Market. Check with the organizers of the medical conference and ask about discounts for anything. My outings usually involved taking visiting family members to Pike Place Market, Northwest Trek, drive up to Paradise at Mt. Rainier. A ride up in the Space Needle to enjoy the viewing deck does not mean you have to eat there. I much preferred eating down near the water. You can also take a ferry to Vashon Island, where I believe I recently read of the re-opening of a quilt shop over there. Google "NW Washington Shop Hop, 2015". As your daughter already knows, getting around in Seattle is not easy. Bring comfortable walking shoes for all the up and downhill walking. I often saw women dressed in beautiful suits or dresses, wearing beat up sneakers and carrying dress shoes in a shoe bag.

If you make the trek to Friday Harbor, you can see the Orcas! You simply must take the ferry to Bremerton, the views are amazing. You can walk onto the ferry since your car won't care if it misses the ride, then ride the round trip (you do have to pay for both crossings) in about two hours! Go to Washingtonstateferries.com to see what is available.

My sister thinks I am nuts, but I love to ride the ferries on the outside in rough weather! She just sits in a booth looking very green! Lol!

Hard to choose. I can understand the Orca watching but it is seasonal so be sure it is a good time to go see them. The Space needle is great to visit from the 1960 World's fair. Pike's Place market is always seem to be in the moves. HAVE FUN.

Another idea would be to take the ferry to Bainbridge Island...fun little village..several quilt shops within block of each other and nice places for lunch. To ferry ride over is very nice. My sis and hubby lives in Ballard and they also have a lovely home on Mariner Drive on Bainbridge Island. We can not get enough of the view every time we visit them. Have a great trip :)

Judy in Phx, AZ

My favorite one - day is valet parking (inexpensive) at the foot of the space needle, a short walk to the fabulous Chihuly exhibit, inside, and a garden area as well, then lunch in the space needle. Check on prices, much less if you do it all, must have reservations, especially for Space Needle for lunch. It is connected to the Observation Deck, if you don't want to do the lunch, but you will never forget it! Ask for a window table! Restaurant rotates fully in one hour. The art in the Chihuly exhibit will give you great ideas for color and design. After this, there is an outdoor, free, area that is part of the Seattle Art Museum. Many large sculptures, and worth seeing. Just a short drive, and right above Puget Sound. At the base of the Space Needle is the Experience Music Project, also a fun place, interesting architecture, lots of interactive music experiences. Look online to see the quilt shops doing great row by rows, and bring your phone to find them! These are some of the places I take my out of town friends and relatives.

Don't forget about going to the piers. Take in the Old Sears Building. Across the street from the Sears there is a shop called Mullen Mills. Beautiful fabric. Go get some of the Clam Chowder at Ivers. Best in the world. Oh and please feed the Seagulls. :-) The rock and Roll hall of Fame . I lives there for 44 years. Go to Kent and do some gambling. They have wonderful night life.

Hi marymay, I agree with all the suggestions you gave, I was born in Tacoma & raised in Sumner graduated in 1961 and left in 1967. Wish I was there now & out of this heat here in Fla. My mother owned a Yarn Store in Auburn & I always went to the Quilt Shop in Puyallup. We lived 32yrs in Jacksonville Bch before moving here to Deland & we have two nice quilt shops within 10 miles of each other. Have a nice day.

Grew up there -now a Kansasan---there used to be an underground tour--hope it's still there---where Seattle was first built below high tide level---[a fasinating story] ---and they moved up a floor to avoid the flooding and forgot about it till a keg of beer fell though the floor in a bar and it was discovered--last time I was there I took the tour Also Snoqualmie Fall has --or had-- a restaurant to die for

Be sure to go to Shibori Dragon. Great quilt shop with unusual patterns and fabrics. Great conversation and a fun place

If you are a walker, I would walk on the Bainbridge ferry go to Esther's quilt shop(a row by row). The shops are fun too.
Drive to Issaquah for another row by row at Glossypium shop. Continue east to the Snoqualmie casino and to Snoqualmie Falls.
Other posters have added some great ideas. Thanks to the internet checking out the routes and details will be easy.

Check the weather. It does get hot. Anything near water will be cooler. It cools down to 70-50 at night depending on the day time temps.
Please tell us all about your trip when you get home.

There is an airplane museum between Seattle and Tacoma which goes from the Wright brothers on to current. Also a very good car museum in that same area. We went on a harbor cruise and got to see a lot of things in a hurry.

Go on the Duck tour (duck boats), the Underground City tour, Pike Place market is always fun. If you stay downtown, you can actually get away without renting a car. We stayed for a week and either walked or took the bus. If you stay with a certain zone, the bus is actually free during certain times. We also checked out the International village and the museums.

You can take the Victoria Clipper up to Victoria, BC (about 2 hours one way) and go see Buchart Gardens in Victoria. Definitely, go to Tillicum Island and enjoy the Salmon Bake and show. That's a lot of fun. See what is offered on the Seattle CityPass (http://www.citypass.com/seattle). If you want to go to all those places offered, it is a great deal.

The museum that gmcsewer is talking about is the Boeing Air Museum at Boeing Field. It is a great museum.

Oh, and no one's mentioned the troll under the Aurora Street Bridge. (I'm pretty sure that's where it is...only went there once, but it was way nifty!) All the locals will know. Eat at Ivar's or Chinooks...both great.

Thanks for all the ideas! We booked our flights (actually hubby did) and we leave Mpls on Wed. 15th and then the medical conference is Friday pm- Sun morning. We will be heading home mid day on Sunday. I hope we get to see some of the great ideas you gave me! Hoping for good health so that we can enjoy the trip. She is a VERY rare gal and this medical conference hopefully will shed some light on her condition. Just over 1 year ago she found out she has low white blood count, similar to a cancer patient. The illness is call Neutropenia...and add that to Type 1 diabetes....makes for some ups and downs in her life. But like I said she is very rare and is stubborn to! Ha we will have memories being made forsure!

The medical community in Seattle is top notch. I miss that level of care. Prayers for safety anfd also healing for your DD.

Just a heads up ...the Quilt Loft in Ballard has a new sign on shop. Stuff -- Home Decor. My sister said she saw this 2-3 weeks ago, but had never seen a Going out of Business sign in window of Quilt Loft. They had moved across the street about 3 years ago. So not sure if you will find that shop in Ballard at all.

Judy in Phx, AZ